Christopher Nolan Discusses IMAX Shooting & Newcomer Fionn Whitehead For 'Dunkirk'

One of the more anticipated movies of this summer, Christopher Nolan’sDunkirk“, is only a few months away and slowly we are learning more and more about Nolan’s new film, including how the film was photographed and it’s newcomer star Fionn Whitehead.

Nolan has previously discussed both the triptych structure and PG-13 rating for the film. Now, for Entertainment Weekly’s Summer Preview, he explains how the film will use Nolan’s favorite film format: IMAX.

While talking with EW, Nolan discussed how, “I kept coming back to the firsthand accounts, with people describing the sights and sounds of being on that beach, or being up in a plane above that beach, or being on a boat coming across to help the situation. I think the confusion, not knowing what’s really going on, was one of the most frightening and disturbing things for people.”

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Nolan captured that confusion by having his director of photography Hoyte van Hoytema use the 54 pound IMAX cameras hand-held, explaining, “Hoyte hand-held the camera for a few sections of ‘Interstellar‘ very effectively, and then on this I had to break the news to him that he was going to be doing it for a massive amount of the film.” Nolan is one of the most fascinating directors using the IMAX format right now, so it’ll be interesting to see how he blends both hand-held photography with large-format shooting.

Additionally, Nolan has put newcomer actor Fionn Whitehead at the center of the film, starring as a teenage soldier Tommy. In an LA Times profile on the actor, he explained how he came to the project. Like all of Nolan’s films, Whitehead auditioned blind, explaining, “No one knew how many characters there were, who the characters were, how old they were, the plot, anything. It was very, very secretive”. In fact, Whitehead only learned he would be a main protagonist after he was offered the role, saying, “That was when my jaw hit the ground, and I got nervous sweats.” But as Nolan explains it, Whitehead was the perfect choice as “there’s a naturalness and genuineness to the way Fionn performs that’s extraordinary.” [LA Times] [EW]

“Dunkirk” opens July 21, 2017.Dunkirk (2017) FIONN WHITEHEAD and ANEURIN BARNARD (carrying stretcher)